Maria Dunn - Piece By Piece

Maria Dunn – Piece By Piece
2012, Distant Whisper Music

Maria Dunn is perhaps one of the finest folk singer/songwriters Canada has to offer.  The Scottish-born performer who makes her home in Edmonton has one Juno nomination (2002) and two Independent Music Award nominations (2013) under her belt. Her songs have been covered by such artists as Niamh Parsons, Bob Bossin, Aengus Finnan and The Outside Track.  Dunn’s fifth album, Piece By Piece, documents the story of immigrant textile workers at Edmonton’s GWG factory.  Stark, lonely and beautiful, just like their protagonists, Maria Dunn’s songs shine like the gems that they are. 

Dunn begins by documenting the act of leaving home to make a better life in “I Cannot Tell You”.  She gets all sides of the story here, from the love of those who send a child off to greater opportunity to the loneliness and determination of the one who moves on.  Dunn captures the beautiful rough edges of humanity in song here, with a voice that is as wonderfully hand-crafted as her songs.  “Speed Up” deals with the plight of the worker, of whom more is always expected without the commensurate rise in recompense.  What starts as a challenge to improve becomes a race to keep up, else opportunity is lost.  “Blue Lung” documents the malady of textile workers in a denim factory.  Dunn’s arrangement is perfectly fit to the tale of an inevitable conclusion for those who (quite literally) give their life to the factory.

“Assunta’s Song” covers the worries and hopes of the wife of a World War II soldier who is working while he is away.  Gypsy violin dots the soundscape here, intermittent to some haunting vocal harmonies.  Dunn finds a perfect moment in song and seems to live it as if it were her own experience.  This is a powerful voice, and Dunn’s voice is absolutely gorgeous.  “Shareholder’s Reel” is something of a social revolt amongst workers against the big wigs.  The push for more and more is stopped dead in its tracks by people rising up in their own interest.  It is the spirit that led to organized labor in the U.S. and Canada that inspires this song; A spirit that was needed for a time when workers rights were thoroughly trod upon by robber barons and thieves.

Dunn finds another moment of perfection on “Immigrant Dreams”, with her voice carving out of the either the eternal reach for a better tomorrow through hard work, love, dedication, and a sense of honor that is an afterthought today.  For all that has come before, there is little to say or do to prepare the listener for “Lullaby”.  Dunn finds a moment of musical transcendence in a simple arrangement that is haunting and beautiful.  If you aren’t moved you simply aren’t listening.  Dunn closes with “Farewell”, a solid end to a memorable album that serves as balm and reminder of the struggle documented herein.

Maria Dunn blends Celtic, folk, bluegrass and old school country in wondrous ways throughout Piece by Piece.  Her songwriting is exquisitely crafted, underwritten by a keen storyteller’s sensibility.  It’s not uncommon to find storytellers who are fair songwriters or vice versa, but Dunn is the complete package.  Her arrangements, simple or otherwise, are as expressive as her words.  For all of this, it is Maria Dunn’s voice that makes the sale.  Beautifully imperfect, and full of the haunting qualities of loneliness, love and pure will, Dunn’s voice rings true of conditions both human and divine.  Maria Dunn is one of a kind, and Piece by Piece can be nothing other than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.  This one’s an instant classic.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.mariadunn.com. 

Cara Luft - Darlingford

Cara Luft – Darlingford
2012, Fontana North/Blue Case Tunes

Cara Luft began performing at the age of four, singing and accompanying herself on dulcimer.  By the age of eleven the Calgary native teaching herself guitar, learning alternate tunings and various picking techniques.  Luft soon added banjo to her repertoire, giving her a solid arsenal of instruments to back up her strong and distinctive alto voice. A founding member of The Wailin’ Jennies, Luft has also cut an impressive swath as a solo artist.  Luft came to our attention here at Wildy’s World with her 2007 album, The Light Fantastic, a 4 ½ star gem that still ranks as a personal favorite.  Luft returned in 2012 with her third solo album, a splendiferous mix of folk, Celtic, country and even shades of pop music that is ever so much more than anything she’s done before.

Darlingford begins with a look at salvation in the form of "Only Love Can Save Me", a splendid mix of country and folk sounds that wrap around Luft's singular voice like a blanket. The song is uplifting and joyful, yet full of a stylistic and compositional complexity that is musically satisfying. "Bye Bye Love" is an emotionally and musically mature post-mortem on a relationship lost. Absent the vitriol common in pop/country kiss off songs, Luft makes a much more damning case for moving on by speaking straight from the heart. This is a beautiful examination of love's detritus, complete with gorgeous vocal harmonies that appear from nowhere to accent some of her more poignant discoveries.  Luft's cover of Mike Scott's is powerful to say the least. The melancholy hope of the song grows into a powerful determination that will have you on the edge of your seat. Delving back into the healing process, Luft delivers the powerful slow epiphany of "House On Fire". This testament to the permanence of loss and the healing power of friendship is unforgettable, feeling both decidedly intimate and universal at the same time.

"The Ploughboy And The Cockney" is an interesting diversion that is more than it first appears. The musical performance here is top notch, of course, but Luft proves her talent as a story teller with a light yet knowing vocal touch. Listeners can decide whether there is more to the story in light of the full cycle of songs presented here. "Idaho" is an exploration of new beginnings, new faith and new perspectives. The joyous feel of the song has an almost Paul Simon sound but with definite country flair. Luft is able to rock out a bit here in the midst of a recovery she never foresaw.

Genocide and social responsibility whirl around the story of a man whose heroics are sometimes deemed a failure. "Dallaire" explores the perspective of Lt. General Romeo Dallaire, who oversaw international forces in Rwanda in 1993 and 1994, at the height of the genocide campaign of Hutu extremists. This is a touching and poignant look at how we struggle to do the right thing, often failing even as we succeed. Luft returns to her personal milieu with "Off My Mind". Here we hear some of the anger one might expect post breakup, but the quiet reserve of class that Luft clarifies it all with is refreshing. It doesn't dull the lyrical daggers she throws, but it does make them harder to deflect.

"Portland Town" explores the ravages of war from the perspective of a mother who sees her three sons go off to battle, never to return. The dark Celtic style arrangement gives the song a quiet urgency that matches perfectly to the subject matter, and Luft's voice is fully in the moment with an urgent grace. Luft moves on to reverse prepositions and propositions with her emotive and stunning take on "He Moved Through The Fair". Her voice conveys a story of love with an elemental power that is breathtaking.

Luft takes a somewhat lighter tone on "My Darling One", an incantation to a beloved child or perhaps even to a prospective love. The bouncy feel of this tune marks an emotional turning point, as the scars of loss begin to fall away. That inertia grows on "It's Gonna Be Alright", as faith turns to confidence and ambition to make tomorrow a better day. Darlingford closes out with "Charged!” - a bonus track born of a real life border bust. The song is a fun and entertaining reminder of how quickly things can go awry in the hands of Federal power, and how we rely on the humanity of one another to straighten out the simple-minded grind of political machines.

It might seem a cliché phrase, but Cara Luft weaves magic through every nook and cranny of Darlingford.  In the process she turns a bit of personal tragedy into songwriting gold, exploring themes of love, loss, faith, recovery and choosing a new direction with lyrical aplomb and a near-perfect understanding of musical setting, mood and composition.  Luft’s ability to tell a story through song has never been more in focus than it is on Darlingford, and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Luft collecting her second Juno Award based on this effort.  Darlingford is easily one of the finest collections to cross this desk in 2012, and can be nothing less than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc. 

Rating:           5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.caraluft.com. 

Review: Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic

Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic
2007, Black Hen Music

Winnipeg’s Cara Luft is a musical tour-de-force that you might never have heard of if you live outside of Canada. An integral part of folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Luft chose to follow her own path in 2005 after three years, two albums and one Juno Award for Best Roots album. Nicknamed “Jenny Van Halen” for her raucous guitar style, Luft is as accomplished with an axe as she is behind the microphone. Her album, The Light Fantastic, is a wonderful mix of the spiritual and the mundane, the certain and the in-between. Produced by Neil Osborne (54-40), The Light Fantastic features multi-instrumentalist Hugh McMillan (Spirit Of The West, James Keelaghan), Richard Moody (The Bills) and Christian Dugas. It a rare gem in popular music; a spending musical experience with outstanding storytelling.

Cara Luft shows an ability to capture moments and people in song that is uncanny. Whether her subjects are real or imagined, or even herself, Luft opens a window in each song on a person, place or time that is so believable you can almost touch them. Her voice is perfectly suited to this style of country/Americana; a warm alto with a bit of small-town country sass. The Light Fantastic opens with There's A Train, a song about escaping a relationship that's an emotional tempest, even if it means leaving home. Luft has a subtle power in his voice and is deft at using it to accentuate the emotions the protagonist feels here. This leads into No Friend Of Mine; with a lyrical economy that packs a punch, Luft tells someone who's no good for her to get lost. Turning the tables, Talk For A While is inspired by a bit of non-committal vulnerability; it's an incredibly human emotion in song, caught perfectly like a photograph set to music.

From a pure musical standpoint, Black Water Side is one of the more memorable moments on the album, with a wonderful arrangement that captures motion and movement within the notes and rhythms of the song. Luft's version of Lord Roslyn's Daughter may have officially transplanted the Great Big Sea rendition as my favorite version of this traditional tune. Luft delivers a stirring vocal performance, blending with unforgettable harmony vocals that are full of urgency you can almost reach out and grab. For all of this, however, Give It Up is by far my favorite song on the disc. It's a statement of self-worth from a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. It's probably one of the best takes on this subject since R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

No Strength takes a deep angst, partners it with a wonderful hook and some amazing rhythmic guitar playing and turns into a highly memorable song. Wilcox explores the utter surprise and wonderment of a person taken out of their normal element and caught on the Canadian Prairies for a time, while Jerusalem addresses the need for an inner spiritual or philosophical life. It's an interesting tune that uses Jerusalem as an allegory for this spiritual destination, and comes off sounding like a classic Indigo Girls tune. Settle For Grey is a subject most artists touch on at some point in their career, the loss of clear black and white in choices that seems to occur over a lifetime. It's a moralist message that's decidedly amoral, and an intriguing epilogue for Luft.

Luft is an extremely talented songwriter, encapsulating person, time and place with the skill and temerity of Randy Newman. Vocally she's up there with the best, and the musical arrangements here are anything but typical. Luft sounds like she's still challenging herself on each song, and enjoying it in the process. The Light Fantastic is a terrific listen. Luft is a master songwriter and performer. You don't want to be without this disc.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cara Luft at http://www.caraluft.com/ or www.myspace.com/caraluftmusic. You can purchase a copy of The Light Fantastic at www.cdbaby.com/cd/caraluft.